Amalgamator



March 18, 1930. J. J. TINKER 1,750,868

AMALGAMA'I'OR Original Filed Jan. 19, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet l J. J. Tl NKER AMALGAMATOR March 18, 1930.

4 Sheet-Sheet Original Filed Jan. 19, 1926 er: wmzzd J. J. TINKERAMALGAMATOR March 18,1930.

Original Filed Jan. 19. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 18, 1930. T|NKER1,750,868

AMALGAMATOR Original Fild Jan. 19, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4IIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIII'IIIJ Patented Mar. 18 1930 Emm JAMES J. TINKER,or SAN D EGO, CALIFORNIA A ALGAMAroa Application fi led January 19,1926, Serial My invention is an amalgamatorfor use in the separation offine gold from auriferous material when such material is in a very finestate such as theproduct from quartz, stamp mills or black sand, thesoil from' placer mines or any pulverized ores or gangues from whichgold has been originally obtained. My amalgamator in some cases canrework sufficiently the tailings from prior operations. 7

An object amalgamator in which the consumption of mercury isconsiderably reduced compared with the amount of amalgam products and inwhichthe "amount of mercurycarried off,

by the tailings is also'reduced.

A further feature of my invention-is to expose the material beingtreatedto theactio'n' of mercury 21.11 particles of gold inthe materialbemg' treated is subjected to the action of'the mer-= cury to therebyform an amalgam. I

Some of the specific features of my inven-' tion are the mounting of theplates for carrying the material under treatment so that these may beaccurately adjusted to any-suitable angle; also providing mercurytroughs that may be accurately adjusted in relation to the plates, andsplash plates whichmay also be adjusted properly in relation to thetroughsandto theplates. I A further-feature of my inventionis to providefor amercury overflow leading from one end of the amalgamator so thatthis overflow may be readily collected from each of the troughs, andalso to provide a simple arrangement for conducting asolution such assodium or alkali solution to the troughs. In constructing my amalgamatorI utilize a simple wood framing having posts at the end. These postshave attached thereto a bracket for supporting the plates, these latter.being carried by a frame. Arcuate guide brackets are attached to theposts to ac curately adjust and clamp the plates at the properinclination. The troughs. are carried by pivoted arms mounted on theplate brackets so that the troughs may be elevated" and adjusted towardsand from the plates.

Splash plates are also carried by studs ex- I I drawings, in which: 1 ofmy invention is to-produce an l v in the direction of the arrow 1 ofFig. 2, showso that in practice substantially No. 82,195 Renewed January15,1930.

tending outwardly fromthe posts and maybe adjusted verticallyorhorizontally.

"I' prefer to'conduct the overflow mercury r from the troughs by rubberhose leading to overflow pipes and to'feed the sodium solution to thetroughs by nieansof a rubber hose 7 connection from a sui'table tank.

-My. invention will be more readily underf stood from the followingdescriptionand 1 0;; Figure 1 is a rear elevation of Fig. 2, taken ifingce'rtain details in, section.

Fig.2 is a vertical transverse section of Fig.1, on the line 2-2, in thedirectionof the arrows. f1. Fig; 3 is a plan view of Figs. 1on2, in the,direction of the arrows 3. a v fFig', 4: is a detail perspective viewofthe plate supporting brackets and the trough supporting arms. j Fig. 5is aperspective detail of the attache 5 ment of the troughs to the arms,as if viewed in the direction of the arrow 5 of Fig; 4. i

- Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of one of the 75 2 guide brackets foradjusting the inclination of the plates. I l ;Fig;17 is a perspectivedetail of theadjust' -fable mounting for the splashplates.

I Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showingthe the troughs;

Fig. 9 isi'a diagrammatic longitudinal section of the trough, showing hefeeding ar rangement for the alkali solution.

The framing of my'amalgamator is construoted substantial-1y as follows,having reference-p'articularlyto'Figs. 1, 2 and 3: 1

A base l'lS formed of crosstimbers2 and longitudinal timbers 3 andsupports at each" end a pair of posts 4. {These posts have a cappingpiece 5, which may also'be braced to a structure having a chute forfeeding the ma terial to be treated. The variouselements of the frameare securely bolted or otherwise secured together and form a simplestructure formounting the various features of'my amalgamator.

The .plates are mounted substantially as follows: i

manner. of conducting thealkali solution to "T 7 The plates'aredesignated by thenurneral 6 and are preferably copperv plates silverplated having anjupturned side rim 7 and an upturned end ri1n'8, leavingthelower end I i v larly in -Figs. 1;2f and 4.1 v The braCketcOnsistssubstantially of a channel in whichjtheflweb "t is" formed with a'seni-icir'cularx bearing-"13; A'lug ll extend'sfup wardly from theupper, flange 15." These plate braoketsfare'secured on the inside of the15 11 is secured tothe posts, the lower; sang-e12 'formed byfadepression.

posts at opposite'ends ofthe niachinei "The plates are suitablysupported n a ir'ram egl6; gitudinally, above the troughs andspaced] 7j.

7 haying alongitudinal bar 17 at the centergthis 'barbeing supported ateach end in the; bear Qin'gsl}; Sideangle bars-18 and 19 support ;tothesideangles ls andilil; 2

- I Guide brackets 22, shown 7 parac utes Figs; 131.2,; and 6v aresecuredto the side edges Pof the posts.

' curvedrawn on therad-i-usfrom the bearings v -.1e'so that theangle 1-9eXtendedwill-ride on 25 and across slot 27in the'curved p0rti0nc28 5 .3of the'guide bracket,- This V V fj tion offja'clamping nut; 29' -withithe head} 7 J throu" h thefcrossfslot 27, -thereb y clamping this'surfaceh A s1ot'26fisfor ned in the face the si eangle 19 tothe'guidebracket- Therefore it .will]be,seen that -thea'djust{ Inent ofthe plate to secure'the-proper inc'li nation' may be readily''accoinplished [by loos nut 29 at the. end: posts and"adjust ling theplates until the proper flow of materialdesiredis obtained; Injth6construction 7 shown I: utilize five I sides of the, amalgamator,however asshown,

unencu'inbere (I; so th at plates or 'the other parts'ofthefrne'chanisni'to" V the closure plates,

c I nels'hayin V 33 totheflanges.

' 1' plateBg at'e'ach end; Straps 35 are'bolted to thus forming asuspension 7 thisbeing illustrated in d e-" tail in .Figs. land 5.Trough adjusting arms; inountedon the lug 14 and be hereunder described.

The constru'ction'and Inountingof the .mercurytroughs is substantiallyas follows, havl ng reference particularly to Figs l 2 andBV: 1 Thetroughs {3'0 are'fin the form oflchan preferably have a slightdownwardextnsion The; troughs have closure 36v are fpivotally haveahandle137 toifor'm a ready-adjustment," this handlelbleing dinal slot-38to. 6 straps 35. -A thumb nut 40 is utilized to: clamp split 'and havinga-longituengage the" stud 39" on the out in-the slot 38.1

the l proper relative Vedge-oftheplates;f g I V r l The i'splashv platesare constructed and substantially-as ifollQws, having ref- 1 the platenear the longitudinal edgesjand V a These brackets haye flattenedends 23and-24 for the insertion of screws'and 'have an arcuatesurfa ce-25conforming to'the Y a headthrough which thegarm" td inayj f slide, as'etj s'crewj lj being utilizedto clamp allows the inser I platesdischarging' the material being treated alternately on opposite p 7' eusual perforationsdistributed 7 e "Figs; 1 -2an'd 3. aweb-31 with sidefiangesg32 and the st ds and hen ceth straps and trough 5 at the properhorizontal distance from the the troughs'is through the medium of a slotedge of the troughs by sliding the stud in and Thevertical.adjustment'of 41 through which passes a bolt 42 havinga thumbnut 43, the bolt being securedto one of; l

thel'posts whereby when-the armfis lelevated V j u v thethumb nut'may beclamp-ed, thereby supportingthe troughs inposition to" the discharge lto the proper position,

The splash plate fl'i is loeatedrunningdom slightly from'thefdisehargeend of the plates..

into theitroughsy secured toeach end through which extends 'a'fl.

zontal adjustment of the splaslnplate isby rneans of, tl1e;st;ud-- .48haying a ;b01tfend;49

" right angled arm 4g6 a thumb-sorew47-clainp- 7 ing the block ,tojt'he-sarm to secure v ertic'a'l 1 adjustment; of the"splashplatelfj The-horirigidly boltedfto one of'theposts and having;

fthe arnmir v a'nyf desired .llbrizjontal' position It will thus be.seen;--by; ;thei'construction-fill so; fandesori'bed ,tha

edge of the plates and vthat V l i'r fis ay adjustedat suitableneljinationsythat.eachv of thetroughsmafybeadjustedyerticallyeand v z 100:

adj aoent the dischargefedg'eofeach plateginay I; befadjusted Vertically'and;'1horizontally into proper relation, both to the plates and to'the'The1naterial undergoinggtreatinent' in the;

form of .a slime-flowsdowri the chute 52 into.

troughs length to properly'fslidelthe slimeaand pass it to the uppermostplate.

adj usta'ble-byha'ving straps t'i extendin' along hits a 5 -T ugh 'is a;

Wardly and bymeansof slots 55rand thumb 7 screws 56; theftroughs f1nay'be-adjustedgtoithe v uppermost-plate. 1 1 1 The rnercury .overflowishandled inzthe'foli. i

as illustrated particularlyin 1 relative elevation above the lowingmanner}:

ly'at one end of series of branch top of the bran'chpipes;

theamalgamator and has a cated by the numeral 61,

these "cups'.

secured in blocks {54 ion the 'endposts' anda're adj usted'wto'different elevations by the thumb 7 screws 65.

ing the eyes-gandthereby changing thefe'le :.The adiustm nt I p h V Poverflow ofmercury is by s e d vation of the discharge end of the rubberoverflow hose in relation to the troughs. Each overflow hose may thus beaccurately adj usted to the properelevation.

The arrangement for flowing the alkali solution preferably a sodiumsolution, is indicated in Figs. 8 and 9. A tank 66 is suitably mountedon one of the end frames or on the end posts and is shown as having fivedischarge tubes 67 with valves 68 therein. Rubber tubes tubes to a T 70having a spray pipe 71 attached thereto, this spray'pipe beingpositioned above the troughs and adjusted in proper relation by beingsecured to the splash plates in any suitable manner.

It will thus be seen that by the control valve 68, the amount ofsolution passing to each trough may be accurately gauged and controlledand that the amount of solution flowing into each trough may, becontrolled independently of that flowing into other troughs.

The general operation of my amalgamator is substantially as follows:

It will be understood that the plates, the troughs and the splash platesrequire to be accurately adjusted to obtain the proper flow of theslimes over the plates and into the mercury troughs and that for certainores the travel must be much slower than for others and also that itmust dilfer sometimes in f different portions of the machine by having adifierent inclination of the plates. The zigzag arrangement of flowingthe slimes downwardly brings the particles of gold in contact with theamalgamating surfaces and as these materials overflow the troughs theflow is changed in direction, therefore the tendency is that anyparticles which may pass an upper surface without being subject to theamalgam will contact with a lower surface.

It will be understood that the heavy material accumulating in thetroughs will be cleaned out periodically by scrapers or the like andthat the mercury is kept in a pure condition by a proper adjustment ofthe flow of the compositions used for purifying the mercury such assodium as above described.

Although my amalgamator is of comparatively simple structure so far asthe individual elements composing it are concerned, nevertheless thesemay be considerably changed in general structure andin detail as well asthe general design of the-amalgamator may be changed to suit particularcircumstances or conditions Such changes in the general features orspecific details will be within the scope of my invention as set forthin the description, drawings and claims.

Having described claim is:

1. In an amalgamator, end posts forming my invention, what 69 extendfrom these discharge semi-circular bearing,

a supporting structure, a pair of plate brack- I ets each substantiallychannel shaped and having a depression in the lower flange forming abearing, a plate supported in a frame, said frame having a central lonitudinal bar pivotally mounted in the said earings, the said framehaving side angle bars with connecting rods between the side bars andthe central bar, one of the side bars being extended beyond the plateover the outside of one of the posts, and means on the post to .engagethe extension of the side bar and adjust the inclination of the plate.2. In an am'algamator as claimed in claim 1, in which the means mountedon the post comprises a guide bracket having an arcuate surface, a slotin said bracket and a clamp-- ing bolt to clamp the extension of theside bar to the said guide bracket.

3. In an amalgamator a pair of endpost constructions, a plate bracketsecured to each ofthe posts, each of said brackets having a a framehaving a longitudinal bar in the center, said bar being pivotallymounted in the said bearings, a plate supported on the said frame, aguide bracket secured to one of the posts, and means interconnectingthe-guide bracket and the frame to adjust the inclination of the plate.

4. In an amalgamator,

as claimed in claim 3, a lug extending upwardly from one of thebrackets, a trough adjusting arm pivotally vmounted on the lug, said armhaving a longitudinal slot and a vertical slot, means extending throughthe vertical slot-connected to one of the posts to clamp the arm invarious positions in regard to the post, and a trough suspended from thearm, having means engaging in the longitudinal slot.

In testimony whereof I name to this specification.

JAMES J. 'IINKER.

of operation.

have signed my

